FC cuts short Balochistan ‘I-Day’ celebrations

QUETTA: The Frontier Corps (FC) arrested on Tuesday dozens of political activists all over the province who were celebrating August 11 as “Balochistan independence day”. The celebrations had been organised on a call by Khan of Kalat Mir Suleman Dawood – who designated August 11 as “Balochistan independence day”, and said August 14 should be observed as a “black day”. The Baloch Republican Party, Baloch National Front, Anjuman Ittehad-e-Marri and the Balochistan National Party (BNP) responded positively to the call. Separatists marked the day by distributing sweets in Awaran, Gwadar, Khuzdar, Turbat, Panjgur, Mustung, Noshaki and other Baloch-dominated districts. They also clashed with Frontier Corps personnel. In New Kahan, a suburb of Quetta, Marri tribesmen raised the flag of an independent Balochistan to mark the day, and vowed to mark Pakistan’s Independence Day “a black day”. The FC cut short the celebrations and removed the “Balochistan flags”. Around 32 political workers were detained in Khuzdar after they clashed with forces. In Quetta, the FC removed all flags of an “independent Balochistan”, and hoisted Pakistani flags on all official buildings and vehicles. Tight security arrangements had been made throughout Quetta to prevent the celebrations.